SINDIWE Manqele killed Nkululeko “Flabba” Habedi to prevent him from killing her, her lawyer said yesterday.
Delivering closing arguments, Norman Makhubela said if Manquele had not stabbed Flabba a different person would have been in the body bag.
Manqele is accused of murdering Flabba at his home in Alexandra, north of Joburg, in March in an argument after a night out.
Under cross-examination several weeks ago, Manqele told the court she stabbed Flabba on purpose but she did not mean to kill him.
Makhubela said this statement was not necessarily an indication of his client’s guilt.
He said she tried to resuscitate Flabba and also tried to slit her own wrists to kill herself.
Some of Flabba’s relatives have testified they heard the two arguing over a former girlfriend of his identified only as Kea. However, Makhubela said it was clear the two had been fighting because of Flabba’s jealous rage.
Friends said Manqele was angry after Kea danced in front of Flabba hours before he died.
Manqele said they argued after Flabba yanked her out of the club because she and a friend were talking to two men.
Makhubela called on the court to give Manqele the benefit of the doubt, saying she should be found not guilty and discharged.
Manqele claimed she grabbed the knife out of Flabba’s hand as he pinned her down.
Prosecutor Paul Schutte said this was unlikely as Flabba was a big man. – NEWS 24
